Cello
Cello comes from the Italian term violoncello, which actually means “little violone.” (No, I didn’t spell violin wrong.) The violone is the lowest-pitched instrument in the viol family, a group of stringed instruments that were used primarily before the eighteenth century. During the twentieth century, it became customary to abbreviate violoncello as “cello.”
The cello is actually part of the violin family, which came into prominent use in the eighteenth century. There are several differences between instruments in the viol family and violin family. Viols have flat backs while members of the violin family have curved backs. Viols have c holes rather than f holes and six strings instead of four strings. Viols are also tuned in fourths with a third in the middle, have frets, and are played with an underhand bow grip. Members of the violin family, on the other hand, are tuned in fifths (with the exception of the double bass), do not have frets, and are played with an overhand grip of the bow. (Again, the exception for the latter is the double bass bow, which may be held either way.)
The plural of cello is either celli or cellos.
Cellos (and other string instruments) are held together using hide glue. This glue is made from boiling animal connective tissue. It is strong, but malleable. The glue is weaker than the wood, allowing it to shrink or expand without cracking the instrument.
While the cello is far more famous as a member of the orchestra and string chamber ensembles, it has made several appearances in popular music. In the 1960s, it was featured in “Eleanor Rigby” and “Strawberry Fields Forever” by The Beatles. More recent bands that have used the cello include Aerosmith, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and One Republic.
The cello is actually part of the violin family, which came into prominent use in the eighteenth century. There are several differences between instruments in the viol family and violin family. Viols have flat backs while members of the violin family have curved backs. Viols have c holes rather than f holes and six strings instead of four strings. Viols are also tuned in fourths with a third in the middle, have frets, and are played with an underhand bow grip. Members of the violin family, on the other hand, are tuned in fifths (with the exception of the double bass), do not have frets, and are played with an overhand grip of the bow. (Again, the exception for the latter is the double bass bow, which may be held either way.)
The plural of cello is either celli or cellos.
Cellos (and other string instruments) are held together using hide glue. This glue is made from boiling animal connective tissue. It is strong, but malleable. The glue is weaker than the wood, allowing it to shrink or expand without cracking the instrument.
While the cello is far more famous as a member of the orchestra and string chamber ensembles, it has made several appearances in popular music. In the 1960s, it was featured in “Eleanor Rigby” and “Strawberry Fields Forever” by The Beatles. More recent bands that have used the cello include Aerosmith, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and One Republic.